PIAA 6A Second Round: Father Judge 82, Central York 68 (2OT)

Defending state champion and back-to-back Philly Catholic League champ Father Judge was taken to the brink by Central York, narrowly prevailing in double overtime in a matchup of the last two 6A state champs. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2853708' first='Jeremiah' last='Adedeji'] and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1611959' first='Derrick' last='Morton-Rivera'] each tallied 21 points to lead the Crusaders, matching Central York's [player_tooltip player_id='2456462' first='Ryan' last='Brown Jr'] for game-high.    The height difference between the Judge and Central York lineups was obvious to the entire crowd and Adedeji took full advantage, causing consistent havoc around the basket on his way to a 21-point, 12-rebound double-double to lead the win. The junior forward kept things simple and stuck to what was working, running the floor to establish early position and holding his ground around the rim before demonstrating soft hands and touch as a finisher. He was also consistently effective in clearing the defensive glass. As the game went on, he found opportunities to flash his ball skills as a release valve on catches further away from the basket. It was another effective two-way effort in what's becoming commonplace for the quickly-ascending frontcourt prospect.     It wound up coming in a losing effort but Brown made sure to go down swinging in his last high school game, giving Judge absolutely all it could handle. The senior guard got loose for 21 points, showcasing a blend of shotmaking and downhill creation. He knocked down a trio of 3s along with multiple midrange pullups with feathery touch and a smooth high release to get shots off in tight windows. Brown is efficient covering ground with his handle while showing impressive footwork and dexterity as a finisher in the lane. He's not a pure facilitator but did make some crafty reads in the drive-and-kick game, and never felt as though he was forcing the issue despite staying consistently in attack mode. It was a statement performance for Brown as he continues building his case as a scholarship-level guard.     It wasn't the prettiest performance from Judge as a team, but they got it done, and the same could be said for the Crusaders' junior utility guard. Shaking off a rough start, Tyler delivered his typical blue-collar effort while grinding his way to 16 points with a handful of timely shots. He was effective using his physicality and toughness to outwork opposing guards for loose balls or find his way to buckets around the rim as a cutter. With the game in the balance, he also stepped up to knock down three second-half 3's. His ability to star in his role is sure to endear itself to college coaches as Tyler attracts scholarship-level attention.     One of the marks of a great player is the ability to impact winning in the inevitable games where you don't have your best stuff, and Morton-Rivera embodied that sentiment on Wednesday with a gritty 21-point effort to extend his Judge career and quest for back-to-back state titles. The Temple commit came out hot with 13 points and all three of his 3's before halftime, before an uncharacteristically slow second half and overtime(s) from a scoring standpoint. Nonetheless, Morton-Rivera remained impactful with his decisive slashing to help ignite the Judge offense along with tenacious effort as a rebounder on both ends of the floor. Already the greatest player in Judge history, he continues to add to his legacy with a chance to write the final chapter over the next week and change.     Stepping up in defeat to give the state champs more than a run for their money, Layer delivered a 15-point performance while handling primary ballhandling duties for the bulk of the game's 40 minutes. The junior floor general was effective getting to his midrange stop-and-pop game, elevating smoothly to get his shot off over lengthier defenders. He showed a dependable handle while resisting the urge to overdo it, getting to his spots efficiently and making clean decisions while playing strong off of 2 feet in the paint. Despite being relatively undersized, Layer also showed that he has the quickness, athleticism, and heart to maintain an impact in the floor game on a court full of D1 athletes. He should have a chance to attract scholarship-level attention over the next year despite not passing the eye test at first glance.     Providing a key third scoring threat for the Panthers, Jackson delivered 13 points with an intriguing frame and skillset on the perimeter. He showed to be a capable threat as a 3-point shooter with his feet set, knocking down a trio of 3's, including a pair in overtime with the game hanging in the balance. Jackson was also effective using his length and quickness as a slasher, with the ability to attack and finish using either hand. He mostly operated within the flow but showed flashes of ability to create his own shot when things broke down. There's no one element for him to hang his hat on at the scholarship-level but Jackson could make a lot of small-college programs happy with his utility work and perimeter versatility.

Defending state champion and back-to-back Philly Catholic League champ Father Judge was taken to the brink by Central York, narrowly prevailing in double overtime in a matchup of the last two 6A state champs. Junior forward Jeremiah Adedeji Jeremiah Adedeji 6'8" | PF/SF Father Judge | 2027 State PA and senior guard Derrick Morton-Rivera Derrick Morton-Rivera 6'4" | SG Father Judge | 2026 State PA each tallied 21 points to lead the Crusaders, matching Central York's Ryan Brown Jr Ryan Brown Jr 6'0" | PG Central York | 2026 State PA for game-high.